Five Kisses
by KikiPuppy
Summary: Haruhi had never been interested in romance, until she found herself falling for a particular Host Club King. A series of oneshots of five different times they kiss. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Happy New Year! I'm starting the new decade with a fanfic of one of my favorite animes, Ouran High School Host Club! I only got into this fandom recently, and oh my god I love it so much. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Tamaki, where are you?" came Kyoya's impatient voice through the phone. "Class starts in five minutes."

Tamaki groaned and burrowed further under his covers, tucking his arms under his body to warm them. Why was it so cold?

It took a moment for Kyoya's words to register. Five minutes...

"_Shit!_"

He jumped out of bed and scrambled over to his wardrobe. He was pulling open the mahogany door when the room seemed to do a three-sixty. A strange buzzing sound filled his ears; his vision swam.

"Ugh..." Through the haze, he vaguely felt himself toppling over and hitting the floor. When the dizziness subsided, his head was still a little too heavy, and the chill from earlier hadn't faded. The cold tile floor of his room didn't help.

"Master? Are you alright?" A young maid hurried into the room and knelt by him.

"I'm fine, just got a little dizzy," Tamaki said, standing up and gripping the handle of his wardrobe door to keep from swaying.

Shima Maezono strode into the room.

"Open wide," she ordered in her usual no-nonsense voice.

"Huh?"

A thin stick-like object was shoved into Tamaki's mouth. After a moment, Shima retracted the thermometer and peered at it.

She then turned to the maid. "Master Tamaki will not be attending school today," she announced. "He has a fever and must rest in bed."

With those words, Shima swept out of the room, the maid following close behind.

"Well," said Kyoya's voice on the phone. "I will inform the teacher of the situation. Have a nice day off." _Beep._

Tamaki trudged back into the bed and flopped down, bundling himself into the blankets. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

When he next awoke, the room was empty, and a glance at his alarm clock told him that it was about lunch time.

His skin felt hot and dry, and his throat was sore. He was thankful to see that a glass of water had been placed on his bedside table for him. He took a greedy gulp, feeling the cool water soothe his dry throat.

A quick check of his phone told him that he had seventy-eight unread messages, perhaps from his guests from the Host Club. He scrolled through them, looking for a particular name, but his head felt too heavy. Not even a fourth of the way through the messages, he passed out again.

* * *

"Senpai?" Haruhi's voice echoed through his daze.

A strange emotion bubbled up inside him at the sound of her voice. He had the sudden urge to cry (or maybe laugh). _So beautiful_, he thought. _Does a more beautiful sound exist?_

"What are you talking about?" Haruhi asked, doing that adorable head-tilt thing.

Shit, did he say that out loud? He can't remember. What was thought and what was speech? He couldn't tell, and he _knew_ that, so he shut his mouth and waited patiently for the dizziness to fade before he said something fucked up that'll take her away from him forever and ever and — _fuck_, why can't he _think_ properly?

"I think the fever gave him some brain damage," said a less enjoyable voice. What was Kaoru doing here?

"I don't think the fever changed anything, brain damage or not," said Kyoya.

"Oh snap," Hikaru said gleefully.

_Traitors_, thought Tamaki.

"Is Tama-chan okay?" Honey's voice asked.

If Honey-senpai was here, then Mori-senpai was naturally here too, even though his voice wasn't heard.

So they were all in his room, the entire Host Club. Haruhi's blurry face was the only one in his line of vision.

When the room finally stopped spinning, and the smoke clogging his brain finally cleared, Haruhi's face came into focus. Her expression, instead of her usual indifferent blankness, was filled with worry. Her eyebrows were slightly scrunched up, and her huge eyes looked even larger than normal.

"Hey, Haruhi," he croaked.

At the sound of her name, Haruhi seemed to relax just a bit. She gave a bright smile, the one that never fails to give him a fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt his face warm with a very different kind of heat than from a fever.

"Haruhi? _Just_ Haruhi?" Kaoru demanded.

"What about us?" Hikaru complained.

"Mommy?" Kaoru whined in Kyoya's direction. "Boss is picking favorites!"

"Be glad it isn't you," Kyoya said, pushing up his glasses.

"Shut up," Tamaki grumbled.

Something soft and warm touched his hand. He looked down to see that Haruhi's hand was resting on his bed, the tip of her pinky finger touching his. He felt a tingle spreading from that spot, soft fuzzies traveling up his arm up to his neck. He was about to move his hand away when Haruhi glanced down and noticed.

To his absolute shock, Haruhi not only didn't jerk her hand away or slap him, but slid her fingers into his and kept them there.

He gaped at her, but all she did in response was tilt her head and give that sweet, angelic smile of hers _again_.

Warmth flushed through his body; a fireplace seemed to light up in his chest, pleasant and warming and _nice_.

A section of bunched-up blankets concealed their joined hands from the rest of their friends, and Tamaki, with a tinge of excitement, felt like they had their own little secret under the covers, their own little piece of the world.

"Anyways, Tamaki, I brought your homework for you." Kyoya's voice broke through the tranquility with the smug tone of someone who knows _exactly_ what was going on under the blankets (and of course he does; he's not the Shadow King for nothing). He dropped a black folder on the foot of the bed, and looked at his watch.

"Well, it's getting late, and I still have to plan all the Host Club activities for next week," said Kyoya, stepping toward the door. "And try to recover soon. The Host Club is losing funds without your presence."

And with that, the Shadow King was gone.

"Welp, I guess we should be leaving too," said Hikaru. "We only came to drop off the homework anyway."

"Haruhi, we can give you a ride if you want," offered Kaoru.

"Thanks," Haruhi said.

"But you guys just came!" Tamaki protested.

"I still have homework," Haruhi said, giving his hand a squeeze under the blankets.

With just that simple gesture, Tamaki thought his brain might've short-circuited.

"Homework... yeah... cause you're... y'know... smart... honor student and all... I bet your dog has never eaten your homework... if you, uh, had a dog..." he babbled.

Haruhi raised an eyebrow at his rambling. He shut up.

She stood, pulling her hand away from his to straighten her suit. He silently mourned the sudden absence of her touch, his hand now feeling strangely cold and empty.

"Come on, Haruhi," Hikaru called from the doorway, then disappeared through it after his brother.

Haruhi went to get her bag from the floor and swung it over her shoulder.

"See ya, Senpai," she said.

He just looked at her with what she always called his "Puppy Dog Eyes." She stared back for a moment, sighed, and came back to his bedside.

"Go to sleep," she told him, then bent down and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead.

She walked out the door, leaving him struggling to remember his own name.

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**There's going to be five chapters. Please leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Haruhi, you ready?" Kaoru called.

"The ball's about to start," added Hikaru.

The curtain of the changing room was swept to the side as Haruhi stepped out. She was wearing her long-haired wig with a cute knee-length blue dress that showed off the curves she didn't have.

"Why do I have to dress up like this every time we host a dance?" Haruhi grumbled.

"Come on, it looks cute on you," Hikaru said, his brother nodding in agreement. "We designed it ourselves."

"Let's just get going," Haruhi said.

Both twins bowed theatrically, each offering a hand. "Milady."

Haruhi sighed and took them both. With a twin on either side of her, she let them lead her to the ballroom. They were about to push open the double doors when Hikaru turned and smirked at her.

"This time, maybe try not to kiss another girl in front of everyone," he said.

"Yeah, Boss might explode," Kaoru snickered.

Before Haruhi could reply, they shoved open the doors and were immediately greeted with music, loud voices, and the sounds of several girls squealing and hitting the floor with presumed nosebleeds.

As the trio made their way through the room to get to the stage where the Host Club was supposed to meet up, Haruhi heard whispers all around her.

"Who's that girl?"

"I've never seen her before!"

"Is she the Hitachiin twins' new toy?"

"She looks kinda familiar."

"She doesn't even go here!"

As soon as they stepped onto the stage, Tamaki Suoh glided to the front with his arms spread open and a dashing smile on his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now that we have all the members of the Host Club present, let the party begin!"

The soft music changed to an upbeat one, and couples paired off on the dance floor; however, many girls stayed by the stage, hoping to score a dance with one of the Hosts.

Honey-senpai immediately made a beeline for the refreshments table, with Mori-senpai following close behind. Kyoya went off to charm a guest, his notebook under his arm as usual. The twins let go of Haruhi and went off to dance together, a gaggle of swooning fangirls surrounding them.

Before Haruhi knew it, she was left alone on the stage with Tamaki.

"Uh, Tamaki-senpai?" She fiddled with her dress awkwardly. "What should I be doing?"

He looked at her for the first time that evening, and froze in his tracks.

"Senpai?"

Tamaki's mouth dropped open, eyes unnaturally wide, as his entire face flushed tomato-red.

"Oh, um, you — uh, you look... cute," he mumbled.

"Oh, uh, thanks," Haruhi said.

Tamaki noticed the group of girls at the foot of the stage, staring intently at them, and his entire demeanor changed.

With a flirty grin, he took a step forward and took her hand. Her breath caught in her throat as Tamaki spun her once, then knelt in front of her. Holding her hand in both of his, he gave a blinding smile and asked, "May I have this dance, my princess?"

"Uh, sure," Haruhi said, somehow managing to keep her voice level.

Why is he so goddamn dramatic? Why is her hand tingling? And why the hell is her face so warm?

Tamaki stood up and led her off the stage and onto the dance floor. He turned and rested both of his hands on her waist.

Haruhi wasn't sure exactly where to put her hands, but from what she saw around her, most of the girls had theirs on their partners' shoulders. She imitated their posture just in time for a new song (a slower one this time) to start playing.

"Uh, senpai?" she said after a few awkward steps. "I hope you're aware that I don't actually know how to dance."

"Of course," Tamaki said, smiling. "I'll teach you."

And with those words, he twirled her under his arm.

"Whoa!" Haruhi stumbled, lost grip of Tamaki's hand, and crashed into his chest. Without missing a beat, he swept her into an elegant dance.

"Take a step backward here... watch out for the spin... a little more to the left... smaller steps..." Throughout the dance, Tamaki kept up a consistent flow of instructions. Whenever she _did_ make a mistake, he effortlessly adjusted himself to keep her from face-planting on the floor.

The charming act that he puts on for their guests slowly faded as they danced. His posture relaxed, his smile softened, and he seemed a little bit happier. It reminded her of the time that he, an alleged spoiled rich brat, shed his dignity to fish her wallet out of the fountain for her. Before, she'd categorized him in her mind as an egotistical, narcissistic idiot. While that much might still be true, she's come to learn that there was a lot more to him.

Haruhi decided that she liked this side of him much more than his suave facade. It made her feel a little closer to him, being allowed to see him the way most people couldn't.

After a few songs, Haruhi realized that she'd gotten the hang of it pretty well. Tamaki's directions grew less and less frequent.

"Hey, senpai, I think I'm getting it!" she exclaimed.

"All thanks to me," Tamaki replied, eyes sparkling.

Haruhi laughed, causing her to miss a step and trip over his foot. Tamaki easily caught her and pulled her back up, holding her even closer than before.

"Sorry." She smiled apologetically.

"Don't worry, I got you," he chuckled.

The conversation lapsed into comfortable silence. Haruhi had never noticed how nice his smile was, or how pretty his eyes were when they stared into hers... Before she knew it, her face was merely inches from his.

Tamaki seemed to realize the situation at the same time she did. His lips parted, she tilted her face up, and—

The music stopped, breaking them out of their trance.

"Oh." Haruhi took a quick step back, her face burning.

She directed her gaze firmly away from him, and took interest in how the orchestra was packing up.

"Seems like the ball's over," said Tamaki in an unusually high-pitched voiced. He noticed it too, and cleared his throat.

She glanced over at him and saw that his face rivaled a ripe tomato. He was also studying the fine art of orchestral tidying.

"Yeah," she said lamely.

"Well. We should get going."

"Uh huh."

Tamaki took her hand and pressed a quick kiss to the back of it. "See you tomorrow, Haruhi," he murmured, then turned and headed to where Kyoya was bidding a guest goodbye.

Haruhi stayed on the dance floor, wondering what the hell just happened, and why the hell her hand was tingling so _goddamn_ much where Tamaki had kissed it.

* * *

**There's three more chapters! Please leave a review, they really make my day!**


	3. Chapter 3

Haruhi was exhausted. She's had three hours of sleep total in the past two days, and was functioning entirely on instant coffee.

She had to remain at the top of her class in order to keep her scholarship, so she's been studying nonstop for the upcoming midterms and she's not going to be able to relax anytime soon.

After school on the day before the test, she stumbled into Music Room #3, already planning her 6-hour study-fest after the Host Club hour was over.

"Haruhi, you're here!" Tamaki greeted happily. "Today's cosplay is—" He froze in shock as soon as he caught sight of her.

"What _happened_ to you?" Hikaru yelled, vaulting over the back of a couch as he ran to her.

"Your _face_!" Kaoru shouted, close behind his twin.

"What?" Haruhi grumbled. She didn't have time for this.

Tamaki staggered over dramatically, a hand on his chest. "My beautiful daughter, reduced to... to _this_?"

"Guys, stop, what the hell!" Haruhi pulled away from the twins, who had each clung onto an arm desperately. "What are you talking about?"

Tamaki whipped out a hand mirror out of nowhere and held it up to her face. "See for yourself," he said as he wiped away a sparkling tear.

Haruhi peered in the mirror and studied her reflection. Her face was sunken, her complexion paler, and there were dark circles around her slightly bloodshot eyes.

"Yeah, and?" Haruhi pushed the mirror away. True, she didn't exactly look _good_, but come on, it was the day before midterms. What did they expect?

"Everyone! Haruhi will not be participating in Club activities today!" Tamaki announced from the top of a table.

"What? Why?" Haruhi protested. At this rate, how the hell was she supposed to pay off her debt by the end of high school?

"You, young lady, will be resting in the changing room!" Tamaki continued. "I'll order some herbal tea and after that, you'll sleep!"

"But—"

"No buts." He leaped off the tabletop and ushered her in the direction of the changing room. "The couches are comfy in there," he said.

"Might as well get some studying done," Haruhi sighed.

"NO!" Tamaki screeched. "You'll be sleeping!"

Haruhi was getting annoyed. "Look, senpai—"

"Trust me, you need it," Tamaki interrupted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said indignantly.

He pushed her through the doors and kicked them shut behind him.

He sat her down on the couch and tried to push her into a lying position, but she resisted by grabbing onto the backrest of the couch.

"Senpai, hey, stop it— _whoa_!" Haruhi lost grip of the couch, toppled backward, and grabbed Tamaki's sleeve to keep her balance, taking him by surprise, which made him lose _his_ balance, and before they knew it, they were tangled up on the couch, his body pressed over hers.

"Ow..." Haruhi complained from underneath him. Tamaki groaned in agreement.

Haruhi tried to move her arms, but they were pinned firmly under him. After a second or two of struggling, Tamaki managed to prop himself up on his elbows.

His eyes widened to an anomalous size when he registered their position.

"Uh, s-sorry, hang on, I'll get off—"

The door opened.

Tamaki froze.

"_Knew_ it," said Kaoru, crossing his arms.

"Pervert," said Hikaru, mirroring his twin's pose.

Kyoya gave Tamaki a disappointing look over his glasses.

"_No_, it's not what it looks— I'm not a pervert!" Tamaki spluttered, leaping off the couch. He landed on his bottom a meter from the couch, and scrambled to get back on his feet. "Stop looking at me like that! I _said_ I'm not a perv— _stop_! I swear it's not..."

Tamaki continued rambling as Kyoya walked over to Haruhi, who was still lying on the couch awkwardly. He held out a hand and helped her up.

"Sorry about that, Haruhi," he said, pushing up his glasses. "If you wish to press charges for sexual harassment, I owe it to you to assist you on that."

"Um, it's fine, actually, Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi chuckled nervously. "It really was an accident."

"Alright, if that's what you wish," Kyoya said. He snapped his notebook shut and turned to look at the rest of the club.

The twins were now singing _"Boss is a pervert!"_ repeatedly while Tamaki yelled at them to stop. Even Honey started chastising Tamaki ("Tama-chan, that's a very bad thing to do. You should know to respect people's boundaries.") while Mori nodded periodically at his cousin's words.

Tamaki was crying on the floor at this point.

"Mommy, help me!" he sobbed at Kyoya. "They're bullying me! And Haruhi!" He jabbed his finger at the others. "Tell them it was an accident!"

"Okay, guys, calm down!" Haruhi said. "Tamaki's not lying — it was really an accident."

"Did he force you to say that?" Hikaru asked.

"Is he blackmailing you?" Kaoru added.

"What? I would _never_—" Tamaki protested.

"No, he's not," Haruhi said.

Just then, the voices of several girls were heard outside the room.

"Um, hello?" one called.

"Where's the Host Club?" asked another.

Tamaki immediately jumped up from the floor and wiped his nose. In two seconds flat, he somehow completely transformed himself from Pathetic Sobbing Boy into Charming Princely Type, with no trace whatsoever of his previous persona. He pulled out a white rose from nowhere and pointed at the door.

"Host Club, let's get to work!" he sang. He opened the door with a grand gesture and announced to the girls, "Ladies! I am most terribly sorry for making you wait! But no worries, we are here!"

On cue, the Host Club paraded out of the door to the excited squeals of the girls.

Haruhi was about to follow when Tamaki stopped her. "Hey, I really didn't mean to, you know..." His eyes flicked to the couch then back at her. "I'm sorry."

She nodded. "I know."

"But you really do need sleep, I mean it," he said softly.

There was something about him in that moment, so different from both his other personas, that sent a tingle up her spine. She didn't know why, but she automatically obeyed and walked back to the couch.

Tamaki smiled at her. "You need sleep to do well on your exams anyway, you know. Studying won't help when you're exhausted."

Haruhi found herself nodding, then lying down sideways, resting her cheek on a forearm, with no power to resist when he looked at her like that. Why?

"I'll wake you when Host Club is over," Tamaki said, then strutted out the door and shut it behind him.

In the now empty room, Haruhi closed her eyes and tried to sort out her feelings. There had been a strange flutter in her stomach when he smiled at her. It's not like she's never seen him smile — he never seems to _stop_ smiling — so why did she feel like this? What was different? She decided that maybe he was right — she _does_ need some sleep.

She snuggled deeper into the pillows and tried to get the image of Tamaki out of her head.

•••

Haruhi woke up to the sharp scent of leather seats and the low hum of a car engine.

A hand seemed to be stroking her hair, and she realized that her head was resting on someone's lap. She figured she should get up, but it was so comfortable, so warm, so _safe_, in that someone's lap that she decided she could stay for another minute... or two...

Just before drifting back into sleep, she felt that someone lean forward and press a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"Go back to sleep," said a familiar voice. "I'm taking you home. I'll wake you when we get there."

Haruhi didn't know why she suddenly smiled, or why she felt a pleasant flutter in her chest when she realized that it was Tamaki.


	4. Chapter 4

**This one is set some time after high school graduation. They're at least 18, which is the driving age in Japan.**

* * *

"Hello," said the voice on the phone. "This number was listed as the last call on this cell phone. Is this Miss Fujioka's friend or relative?"

Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes, I'm her... uh, friend. Who is this, and why do you have Haruhi's phone?"

"Miss Fujioka has gotten into a car accident and is currently receiving treatment. Please come to the Tohto Bunkyo Hospital as soon as possible."

"_What?_"

The phone clattered to his desk.

Two minutes later, the Suoh family car peeled out of their estate. Tamaki sat on edge in the backseat, hair messy and jacket hastily thrown on.

"Can you go any faster?" Tamaki pleaded.

"This is the speed limit, sir," said the driver. "We will arrive in about 15 minutes."

Tamaki groaned and flopped back into his seat, burying his face in his hands. How was Haruhi doing? Was the accident serious? Please, _please_ let her be okay...

When the car pulled into the hospital parking lot, he stumbled out and immediately ran for the entrance.

After getting the information at the front counter, then getting chastised for running in the halls by a nurse, he finally arrived in front of Haruhi's hospital room.

The door opened just as he was about to burst through, and a doctor walked out.

"Oh, you must be Miss Fujioka's visiter!" she said cheerily. "Don't worry, she's doing fine. Her injuries weren't very serious. However..."

Tamaki knew he should be listening, but all he wanted to do right now was see Haruhi. He stood on his tiptoes and tried to peek through the window. Through the glass, he could just make out the foot of a bed.

The doctor seemed to notice. "My apologies," she said. "I shouldn't have kept you. Please, go in."

Tamaki gave her a hurried nod, too agitated to bother with manners, then walked in. "Haruhi?"

"Senpai?" Her voice was weak and slightly raspy.

When he caught sight of her, he almost cried. She sat propped up against some pillows, with a huge purple bruise on the side of her face, a cut lip, and several smaller scratches along her cheek. Her left eye was slightly swollen, and her wrist was clad in a brace. The collar of her hospital gown was pulled down on the right side, exposing a cut on her neck. Her skin shone with patches of ointment.

Eyes burning, Tamaki pressed his fingers over his mouth, swallowing the sob that threatened to escape.

"Senpai?" Haruhi's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you... alright?"

"Me?" Tamaki choked out. "Why are you asking _me_? _You're_ the one who got in a car accident." He lowered himself into a chair next to her bed, and took her hand in his.

Haruhi gave his hand a squeeze. "You look like you're about to cry," she said with a small smile.

"I—" Tamaki broke off and looked down, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Don't worry too much, senpai," Haruhi said. "I'm fine now, aren't I?"

Tamaki lifted their joined fingers and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. He stayed quiet for a long time.

"I've told you not to call me senpai anymore, right?" he finally said. He was painfully aware of how his voice shook.

_Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry._

"Okay, fine, _Tamaki_," Haruhi said, with a hint of playfulness.

How was it that even at a time like _this_, even when _she_ was the one hurt so badly, it was still _her_ comforting _him_?

"That's better." The last syllable came out as a squeak.

_Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry._

"Hey, Tamaki," she said. "It's fine, really. I'm fine."

He nodded weakly, eyes still shut and stinging. "Yeah, it's just... I'm just..." His voice wavered. "Oh _God_, what would I do without you, Haruhi? What would I _do_?"

"Don't think like that," Haruhi said. "Don't. I'm here."

Tamaki couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears came, hot and wet.

"It's okay, Tamaki," Haruhi murmured. "It's okay..."

He hated this. He hated himself. He hated that he wasn't able to stay strong for her. He hated every single one of the tears drip-dripping down his face.

Haruhi disentangled their fingers and held out her arm. Still shaking with sobs, Tamaki leaned into it instinctively, resting the bridge of his nose on her bare shoulder.

She held him for a while, letting him cry. He felt her fingers clutch the back of his jacket tightly, and somehow that gesture calmed him down enough to stop crying.

"Please don't scare me like this again," Tamaki sniffled after a few minutes, eyes closed against her shoulder.

He felt Haruhi nod. "I'm sorry, senpai. I'll pay more attention when I'm driving."

"Honestly, Haruhi, I don't know what I'll do without you."

Haruhi chuckled. He liked that sound.

"You wouldn't survive a _day_, Tamaki," she said. "Do you even know how to make instant coffee?"

"No."

"All you do is pour hot water into the powder."

"I don't know how to heat water."

"Your dumb rich ass."

"Then show me how when you get home."

"Okay."

Tamaki pressed his mouth against her bare shoulder. She made a small noise of surprise, and her grip on the back of his jacket jerked.

Wait. What was he _doing_?

He jerked away from her, his entire body burning.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled, locking his eyes on the opposite wall. "I-it was an accident I didn't know what I was doing and it just happened and I understand if you hate me now but I'm really really sorry and I won't do it ever ag—"

He was stopped by a soft touch on his arm, one that shot an electric current up his spine.

"It's... um, it's fine," Haruhi mumbled.

Tamaki peeked up tentatively, and saw that her face was completely red. Her lips were pressed tight together, though the corners of her lips still curved upwards. Her eyes were trained determinedly on her wrist brace, away from him, while her good hand rested lightly across his forearm.

Her shoulder sported a small, wet, slightly red mark. Tamaki felt his face flush even more as he averted his eyes.

The uncomfortable silence lasted for another few minutes. Tamaki fidgeted in his seat. Haruhi stared at her brace.

"So, um," Tamaki started hesitantly, "how long 'til you get discharged?"

"Uh, maybe tomorrow, or the day after," answered Haruhi just as awkwardly. "They said it depends."

"Has your dad visited yet?"

"He's on the way. We don't exactly live close to here."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Just then, the door opened. The doctor from earlier walked in, smiling. "Hello, Miss Fujioka!" Her eyes darted to Tamaki. "And Mr...?"

"Suoh."

The doctor's eyes widened slightly at the notorious name, but she showed no further reaction.

"Well, Mr. Suoh, I'm here to check up on Miss Fujioka's injuries. If all is well, she may be discharged tomorrow afternoon.

"In addition, I'm afraid general visiting hours are over. Only family is allowed from this point on."

The doctor looked at Tamaki. "Well, Mr. Suoh, would you happen to be family?"

Tamaki shook his head. "No, I'm just—"

"Boyfriend, then?" the doctor asked.

He could physically feel himself changing colors like a chameleon. By estimation, he's probably the color of a stop sign right now, maybe even has steam coming out of his ears.

"N-no," he managed to choke out. "I'm— I'm friend. Just friend. Her friend. Very friend. Friendly."

The doctor's polite smile shifted into what seemed like a knowing smirk. "Well, I sure envy your _very friendly friendship_, but as you are not family, I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

"O-of course." Tamaki scrambled up from his seat, trying to hide his burning face behind his hair.

"Um, bye, Haruhi. See ya. Hope you feel better. Soon." He bolted out the door, heart pounding and nerves tingling.

The image of the little spot on her shoulder flashed in his mind over and over again.

What was he _thinking_?

This was _Haruhi_! His best friend! His best friend who he's had a crush on since high school—even though at first he'd mistaken his feelings for paternal affection—but still!

There wasn't supposed to be any romantic feelings between them. None.

But as he slid, still red-faced and flustered, into the backseat of his car, he couldn't deny the inevitable truth.

Damn it, he's in love with her. Damn it.

* * *

**One more chapter to go! Hope you guys are enjoying so far. Please leave a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**And here's the last chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Haruhi." Tamaki stood by the couch she was sitting on, his voice low and serious.

While it was definitely out of character for him, she'd been expecting this. He'd been acting strange all day. He seemed to have something to tell her, occasionally starting a sentence then cutting it off just as quickly. And so Haruhi had decided to let him talk whenever he's ready.

Now, she set down her book and turned to him. "What is it, Senpai?"

The Host Club Hour had just ended. The others had left already, leaving just the two of them in Music Room #3. Tamaki was waiting for his tardy chauffeur, while she had an appointment with a counselor in fifteen minutes.

Tamaki ran a hand through his hair, then shoved both hands into his pockets. "I'm leaving for France the day after tomorrow.

Her heart skipped a beat. "_What?_"

"Not forever," he added quickly, "just to visit my mother."

Oh. Visit.

A wave of relief washed over her. She managed to stop herself from letting out a sigh. The last time he had plans to go to France... it hadn't been fun.

"That's great!" she said. "You must miss her a lot."

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Couldn't you have said goodbye to the rest of the Host Club earlier today?" Haruhi asked.

Tamaki's face flushed pink. "I wanted to... I wanted it to be more... personal... for you?"

Haruhi scooted over on the couch and gestures for him to sit. With the nervous energy he was emitting, he was going to start pacing soon. Tamaki smiled gratefully and sat, leaning his elbows on his knees and looking at the floor.

"Just get to the point," Haruhi said. "You don't have to beat around the bush with me."

"Right."

Haruhi waited.

After a few seconds of silence, Tamaki spoke. "I'm going to be gone for two months. And I just wanted you to know... I... I'm—" He sighed and shook his head. "I just wanted..." he tried again, "I feel like you should know the truth."

Haruhi was getting worried. "What truth?"

He glanced at her, then looked back down. "About my feelings."

She felt her breath hitch in her throat.

He couldn't mean...?

"They're real, you know," he said softly. "I'm not being the Princely Type or whatever right now. I mean it. I just got around to figuring it out myself yesterday, but I think they've been there for a long time. I suppose I was never your father."

He gave a small chuckle, then looked up at her, violet eyes shining with something so pure, so _him_, that she forgot how to breathe.

"I think I might actually be in love with you, Haruhi."

Her heart felt like it was about to thump out of her chest; she opened her mouth but no words came out.

Truth was, she'd been falling for the idiot since that one thunderstorm on the beach. She'd only realized it on the day of the Ouran Fair, when she was about to lose him forever. Ever since then, she'd been thinking and thinking, trying to analyze her feelings and decipher her own heart.

She was never able to. Those feelings, they were just too unfamiliar, too confusing, too _new_. They ran wild and refused to be organized into the neat little rows she preferred. They hurt and thrilled her at the same time.

That's what Tamaki's like, isn't it? He pranced into her orderly life, pulled her out of her comfort zone, and threw confetti while doing all of it. And as much as she wouldn't admit it, she _liked_ it. She liked the wildness of the Host Club, the unpredictability, the blond King who brought her into all of it.

The Host Club was one of those things that she never knew she needed until she experienced it, and so was Tamaki.

Damn it. She's in love.

"You don't have to say anything back," said Tamaki, jerking her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" She realized that she'd been silent for an uncomfortably long time after his heartfelt confession.

"I don't want you to feel forced," he continued. "It's just that since I figured everything out, I felt like I had to get it out. You're not obligated to respond or anything, and..."

He was rambling now, his eyes determinedly staring at the floor and not at her.

He's _afraid_, she realized. He's afraid of rejection. He's been rejected all his life and he's scared to go through it again. And yet he took such a bold move, confessing all his feelings to her like this.

She might've fallen for him all over again.

"... and you don't deserve to have this burden on you, I'm sorry, I should've kept it to myself..." Tamaki seems to grow more agitated at every word he muttered.

Haruhi instinctively reached for his hand, but hesitated, then drew it back into her lap.

Tamaki noticed her move and stopped babbling. He tentatively held out his own hand, reaching for hers but not touching. Heart beating a little faster, Haruhi finally took it in her own. His hand was warm.

"Stop rambling," she said, rubbing her thumb gently across the back of his hand. "There's nothing wrong with confessing. It's not a burden or anything." And in a split second decision, she added, "It's more of a relief."

His eyes widened. "Wha... what do you mean?"

She bit her lip in hesitation. She's never done this before, never spilled her deepest feelings out into the open like she's seen other do. Friends trust friends and tell each other what the rest of the world can't know, but she's never had someone close enough to do that.

This was _Tamaki_, she reminded herself. If anything, he was the one she would trust most with her secrets. For the rest of the Host Club, Honey would tell Mori, Mori would tell Honey, the twins would tell each other if not the rest of the world, and Kyoya... well, he'd do whatever helps him. He probably knows already anyways.

But Tamaki, as much as he is dramatic and most of the time, annoying, he's also the most genuine person she knows.

Besides, he was the one her secret is concerned with.

So she took a deep breath and let it out. "I... I feel the same," she said, her voice dropping down to a whisper at the last word.

There. She did it. It's out.

Tamaki's mouth slowly dropped open, eyes huge and unblinking. "You... you can't be serious... you actually...?"

Haruhi nodded, feeling her face heating up at this adorable sight.

Tamaki seemed to be having trouble talking. "I... you..." He squeezed her hand, face split in a radiant smile.

Haruhi couldn't help but laugh at his antics. She felt incredibly light, like a ton of bricks had just been removed from her stomach.

"Holy crackers, your laugh is beautiful," he managed to say.

She laughed harder, leaning into him, tucking herself into his side like she belonged there._ She does._

His arm came around her shoulder and pulled her closer; he nuzzled his nose in her hair.

"You're amazing," he whispered.

Haruhi leaned her head back to look him in the eyes. They were sparkling with his usual mirth, but there was so much more to it.

He chuckled nervously. "Is this... is this the part where we, you know—"

She tugged him down by the sleeve and kissed him.

He made a noise of surprise, body stiffening against hers, then melted into the kiss.

She's never kissed anyone before.

It was slow and clumsy and awkward. It obviously wasn't his first time — he was probably even a good kisser — but he seemed content to let her lead.

It was when she accidentally bit down a little too hard on his bottom lip that he made a little noise against her mouth — a sound that sent a tingle down her spine.

Emboldened, she kissed him harder, gripped his sleeve tighter. He pressed back into her, letting out a soft moan into her mouth.

It was _intoxicating_.

She never thought something as simple as lips on lips could feel so _good_. There was a strange feeling in her stomach — a hot, flushed feeling that ran through her entire body.

She gasped into his mouth when he pulled her closer to deepen the kiss.

When they finally broke apart, they were both gasping for breath.

"Yeah," she said, "this _is_ the part."

He pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her neck. "Did I mention that you're amazing?"

•••

Two days later, the entire Host Club stood outside the school gates. Tamaki's chauffeur took his schoolbag and placed in the backseat, then patiently waited as he said his goodbyes.

Haruhi's lips tingled in memory. They haven't done anything more since that day in the Music Room, but every time she remembers it, she heats up like a fireplace.

She could barely look Tamaki in the face since then. For the past two days, she's been speaking to him as less as possible, and staring over his shoulder when she had to. She knew it wasn't good to be avoiding him like this, but he seemed to understand.

"Bye, Haruhi," Tamaki said now, hugging her. The butterflies in her stomach came back full force at the contact. "See you in two months."

She managed to mumble a goodbye, her face hot and most likely red.

Tamaki released her, winked, and slid in the backseat of the car. "Bye, guys!"

Just as the car started pulling away, he turned in his seat and gave her a huge, brilliant smile, one that seemed to radiate sunshine and sparkles.

She couldn't help but return it.

* * *

**Please tell me what you think of it! Thanks for reading!**


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